Thursday, October 4, 2007
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Monday, August 13, 2007
Untangling Life's Knotsby Max Lucado
It’s your best friend’s wedding. “I’ll take care of the reception,” you’d volunteered. You planned the best party possible. You hired the band, rented the hall, catered the meal, decorated the room, and asked your Aunt Bertha to bake the cake.
Now the band is playing and the guests are milling, but Aunt Bertha is nowhere to be seen. Everything is here but the cake. You sneak over to the pay phone and dial her number. She’s been taking a nap. She thought the wedding was next week.
Oh boy! Now what do you do? Talk about a problem! Everything is here but the cake …
Sound familiar?
It might. It’s exactly the dilemma Jesus’ mother, Mary, was facing. Back then, wine was to a wedding what cake is to a wedding today.
What Mary faced was a social problem. No need to call 911, but no way to sweep the embarrassment under the rug, either.
When you think about it, most of the problems we face are of the same caliber. We’re late for a meeting. We leave something at the office. A coworker forgets a report. Mail gets lost. Traffic gets snarled. The waves rocking our lives are not life threatening yet. But they can be. A poor response to a simple problem can light a fuse.
For that reason you might want to note how Mary reacted. Her solution poses a practical plan for untangling life’s knots. “They have no more wine,” she told Jesus (John 2:3). That’s it. That’s all she said. She didn’t go ballistic. She simply assessed the problem and gave it to Christ.
It’s so easy to focus on everything but the solution. Mary didn’t do that. She simply looked at the knot, assessed it, and took it to the right person. “I’ve got one here I can’t untie, Jesus.”
“When all the wine was gone Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no more wine’” (John 2:3).
Please note, she took the problem to Jesus before she took it to anyone else. A friend told me about a tense deacons’ meeting he attended. Apparently there was more agitation than agreement, and after a lengthy discussion, someone suggested, “Why don’t we pray about it?” to which another questioned, “Has it come to that?”
What causes us to think of prayer as the last option rather than the first?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Learning to Listen by Max Lucado
Equipped with the right tools, we can learn to listen to God. What are those tools? Here are the ones I have found helpful.
A regular time and place. Select a slot on your schedule and a corner of your world, and claim it for God. For some it may be best to do this in the morning. Others prefer the evening Others prefer many encounters during the day.
Some sit under a tree, others in the kitchen. Maybe your commute to work or your lunch break would be appropriate. Find a time and place that seems right for you.
How much time should you take? As much as you need. Value quality over length. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants. Which leads us to a second tool you need—an open Bible.
God speaks to us through his Word. The first step in reading the Bible is to ask God to help you understand it.
Before reading the Bible, pray. Don’t go to Scripture looking for your own idea; go searching for God’s. Read the Bible prayerfully. Also, read the Bible carefully.
Here is a practical point. Study the Bible a little at a time. God seems to send messages as he did his manna: one day’s portion at a time. Choose depth over quantity. Read until a verse “hits” you, then stop and meditate on it. Copy the verse onto a sheet of paper, or write it in your journal, and reflect on it several times.
Will I learn what God intends? If I listen, I will.
Understanding comes a little at a time over a lifetime.
There is a third tool for having a productive time with God. Not only do we need a regular time and an open Bible, we also need a listening heart. Don’t forget the admonition from James: “The man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness” (James 1:25 PHILLIPS).
We know we are listening to God when what we read in the Bible is what others see in our lives.
Paul urged his readers to put into practice what they had learned from him. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do” (Phil. 4:9 RSV).
If you want to be just like Jesus, let God have you. Spend time listening for him until you receive your lesson for the day—then apply it.
From Just Like JesusCopyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado
A regular time and place. Select a slot on your schedule and a corner of your world, and claim it for God. For some it may be best to do this in the morning. Others prefer the evening Others prefer many encounters during the day.
Some sit under a tree, others in the kitchen. Maybe your commute to work or your lunch break would be appropriate. Find a time and place that seems right for you.
How much time should you take? As much as you need. Value quality over length. Your time with God should last long enough for you to say what you want and for God to say what he wants. Which leads us to a second tool you need—an open Bible.
God speaks to us through his Word. The first step in reading the Bible is to ask God to help you understand it.
Before reading the Bible, pray. Don’t go to Scripture looking for your own idea; go searching for God’s. Read the Bible prayerfully. Also, read the Bible carefully.
Here is a practical point. Study the Bible a little at a time. God seems to send messages as he did his manna: one day’s portion at a time. Choose depth over quantity. Read until a verse “hits” you, then stop and meditate on it. Copy the verse onto a sheet of paper, or write it in your journal, and reflect on it several times.
Will I learn what God intends? If I listen, I will.
Understanding comes a little at a time over a lifetime.
There is a third tool for having a productive time with God. Not only do we need a regular time and an open Bible, we also need a listening heart. Don’t forget the admonition from James: “The man who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and makes a habit of so doing, is not the man who hears and forgets. He puts that law into practice and he wins true happiness” (James 1:25 PHILLIPS).
We know we are listening to God when what we read in the Bible is what others see in our lives.
Paul urged his readers to put into practice what they had learned from him. “What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do” (Phil. 4:9 RSV).
If you want to be just like Jesus, let God have you. Spend time listening for him until you receive your lesson for the day—then apply it.
From Just Like JesusCopyright (W Publishing Group, 1998, 2001) Max Lucado
Thursday, May 24, 2007
It’s a Jungle Out Thereby Max Lucado
The story is told of a man on an African safari deep in the jungle. The guide before him had a machete and was whacking away the tall weeds and thick underbrush. The traveler, wearied and hot, asked in frustration, “Where are we? Do you know where you are taking me? Where is the path?!” The seasoned guide stopped and looked back at the man and replied, “I am the path.”
We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where is the path?” And he, like the guide, doesn’t tell us. Oh, he may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If he did, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us a far greater gift. He gives us himself.
Does he remove the jungle? No, the vegetation is still thick.
Does he purge the predators? No, danger still lurks.
Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. And he has promised to stay until the very end. “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV).
We need that reminder. We all need that reminder. For all of us need hope.
Some of you don’t need it right now. Your jungle has become a meadow and your journey a delight. If such is the case, congratulations. But remember—we do not know what tomorrow holds. We do not know where this road will lead. You may be one turn from a cemetery, from a hospital bed, from an empty house. You may be a bend in the road from a jungle.
And though you don’t need your hope restored today, you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.
Or perhaps you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place. You know you are not equipped. You want someone to lead you out.
If so, call out for your Shepherd. He knows your voice. And he’s just waiting for your request.
We ask the same questions, don’t we? We ask God, “Where are you taking me? Where is the path?” And he, like the guide, doesn’t tell us. Oh, he may give us a hint or two, but that’s all. If he did, would we understand? Would we comprehend our location? No, like the traveler, we are unacquainted with this jungle. So rather than give us an answer, Jesus gives us a far greater gift. He gives us himself.
Does he remove the jungle? No, the vegetation is still thick.
Does he purge the predators? No, danger still lurks.
Jesus doesn’t give hope by changing the jungle; he restores our hope by giving us himself. And he has promised to stay until the very end. “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28:20 NIV).
We need that reminder. We all need that reminder. For all of us need hope.
Some of you don’t need it right now. Your jungle has become a meadow and your journey a delight. If such is the case, congratulations. But remember—we do not know what tomorrow holds. We do not know where this road will lead. You may be one turn from a cemetery, from a hospital bed, from an empty house. You may be a bend in the road from a jungle.
And though you don’t need your hope restored today, you may tomorrow. And you need to know to whom to turn.
Or perhaps you do need hope today. You know you were not made for this place. You know you are not equipped. You want someone to lead you out.
If so, call out for your Shepherd. He knows your voice. And he’s just waiting for your request.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Yesterday's Devotion from rbc.org
April 16, 2007
This Is Better
READ: Proverbs 16:16-32
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. —Proverbs 16:16
People all over the world are constantly looking for the better item, whether buying fruit in a market or choosing a place to live. We examine, ponder, compare, and finally make a choice based on what we believe is better. I can’t imagine anyone saying, “I’m convinced this one is worse, so I’ll take it.”
The book of Proverbs is filled with comparisons that point us toward the right pathway in life. Because the book’s purpose is to give the reader knowledge and wisdom based on the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:2,7), it’s not surprising to find statements saying, “This is better than that.”
In Proverbs 16, we read that it is better to get wisdom than gold or silver (v.16); better to be humble among the poor than to be proud among the wealthy (v.19); better to control our temper than to rule a city (v.32). Some people have the ability to be both wise and wealthy. But when faced with a choice between the two, Proverbs says wisdom is the better alternative.
As we read the book of Proverbs, let’s look for those signs that say, “This is better!” When God’s Word shapes our thinking and guides our choices, we’ll discover that His way is always better. —David C. McCasland—David C. McCasland-->
This Is Better
READ: Proverbs 16:16-32
How much better to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver. —Proverbs 16:16
People all over the world are constantly looking for the better item, whether buying fruit in a market or choosing a place to live. We examine, ponder, compare, and finally make a choice based on what we believe is better. I can’t imagine anyone saying, “I’m convinced this one is worse, so I’ll take it.”
The book of Proverbs is filled with comparisons that point us toward the right pathway in life. Because the book’s purpose is to give the reader knowledge and wisdom based on the fear of the Lord (Prov. 1:2,7), it’s not surprising to find statements saying, “This is better than that.”
In Proverbs 16, we read that it is better to get wisdom than gold or silver (v.16); better to be humble among the poor than to be proud among the wealthy (v.19); better to control our temper than to rule a city (v.32). Some people have the ability to be both wise and wealthy. But when faced with a choice between the two, Proverbs says wisdom is the better alternative.
As we read the book of Proverbs, let’s look for those signs that say, “This is better!” When God’s Word shapes our thinking and guides our choices, we’ll discover that His way is always better. —David C. McCasland—David C. McCasland-->
Not what we have, but what we use,Not what we see, but what we choose—These are the things that mar or blessThe sum of human happiness. —Anon.
A little wisdom is better than a lot of wealth.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
THIS IS JUST GREAT!
Look at the score boardROMA VERDICT: Out-passed, out-classed, out-thought and out-fought, they are also out of the Champions League. And yet, given the splendour of United's performance, they almost merit sympathy. --Soccernet
Enough Said.
Monday, April 9, 2007
Prayer
Lord I thank you for this youth cell group. I pray that you will use them mightily, mould them, stretch them so that each one will realise their God given gifts, talents and touch lives. Lord we trust you will raise leaders from among them, worship leaders, cell leaders, evangelists, mission trippers, preachers and even pastors, to be the light of the world wherever they go and whatever they grow up to be, and that they will be your people who will be and be known as a Child of God.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Service Learning
HI Cell, would like to commend all of you for your efforts yest @ GNK. Your obedience and willingness to serve brought a smile to the children and more so to our Father in Heaven.
Its never easy to deal with kids -- one moment you are smiling, and the next moment you could be pulling ur hair out!. Both JOY and FRUstration! But your presence made a difference to the kids, and your servanthood attitude -- one tt seeks to serve instead of wanting to be served, certainly is commendable. Lets be honoured n joyful, to be able to serve in this Easter month of Apr.
East Coast Park Next Wk!!!
I understand some of you feel shy doing the steps during worship -- I was giddy from all the turning around! But seeing Uncle Wee Khoon the veteran, with so much zest n enthu in His voice and dance moves, I was impressed. If we feel a tat shy, He shld feel alot awkward but he did not and instead His boldness to serve is something we can all learn from.
Its never easy to deal with kids -- one moment you are smiling, and the next moment you could be pulling ur hair out!. Both JOY and FRUstration! But your presence made a difference to the kids, and your servanthood attitude -- one tt seeks to serve instead of wanting to be served, certainly is commendable. Lets be honoured n joyful, to be able to serve in this Easter month of Apr.
East Coast Park Next Wk!!!
Friday, March 30, 2007
On Saturday by Max Lucado
John didn’t know on that Friday what you and I now know. He didn’t know that Friday’s tragedy would be Sunday’s triumph. John would later confess that he “did not yet understand from the Scriptures that Jesus must rise from the dead” (John 20:9).
That’s why what he did on Saturday is so important.
We don’t know anything about this day; we have no passage to read, no knowledge to share. All we know is this: When Sunday came, John was still present. When Mary Magdalene came looking for him, she found him.
Jesus was dead. The Master’s body was lifeless. John’s friend and future were buried. But John had not left. Why? Was he waiting for the resurrection? No. As far as he knew, the lips were forever silent and the hands forever still. He wasn’t expecting a Sunday surprise. Then why was he here?
You’d think he would have left. Who was to say that the men who crucified Christ wouldn’t come after him? The crowds were pleased with one crucifixion; the religious leaders might have called for more. Why didn’t John get out of town?
Perhaps the answer was pragmatic; perhaps he was taking care of Jesus’ mother. Or perhaps he didn’t have anywhere else to go. Could be he didn’t have any money or energy or direction … or all of the above.
Or maybe he lingered because he loved Jesus.
To others, Jesus was a miracle worker. To others, Jesus was a master teacher. To others, Jesus was the hope of Israel. But to John, he was all of these and more. To John, Jesus was a friend.
You don’t abandon a friend—not even when that friend is dead. John stayed close to Jesus.
He had a habit of doing this. He was close to Jesus in the upper room. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was at the foot of the cross at the crucifixion, and he was a quick walk from the tomb at the burial.
Did he understand Jesus? No.
Was he glad Jesus did what he did? No.
But did he leave Jesus? No.
What about you? When you’re in John’s position, what do you do? When it’s Saturday in your life, how do you react? When you are somewhere between yesterday’s tragedy and tomorrow’s triumph, what do you do? Do you leave God—or do you linger near him?
John chose to linger. And because he lingered on Saturday, he was around on Sunday to see the miracle.
That’s why what he did on Saturday is so important.
We don’t know anything about this day; we have no passage to read, no knowledge to share. All we know is this: When Sunday came, John was still present. When Mary Magdalene came looking for him, she found him.
Jesus was dead. The Master’s body was lifeless. John’s friend and future were buried. But John had not left. Why? Was he waiting for the resurrection? No. As far as he knew, the lips were forever silent and the hands forever still. He wasn’t expecting a Sunday surprise. Then why was he here?
You’d think he would have left. Who was to say that the men who crucified Christ wouldn’t come after him? The crowds were pleased with one crucifixion; the religious leaders might have called for more. Why didn’t John get out of town?
Perhaps the answer was pragmatic; perhaps he was taking care of Jesus’ mother. Or perhaps he didn’t have anywhere else to go. Could be he didn’t have any money or energy or direction … or all of the above.
Or maybe he lingered because he loved Jesus.
To others, Jesus was a miracle worker. To others, Jesus was a master teacher. To others, Jesus was the hope of Israel. But to John, he was all of these and more. To John, Jesus was a friend.
You don’t abandon a friend—not even when that friend is dead. John stayed close to Jesus.
He had a habit of doing this. He was close to Jesus in the upper room. He was close to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He was at the foot of the cross at the crucifixion, and he was a quick walk from the tomb at the burial.
Did he understand Jesus? No.
Was he glad Jesus did what he did? No.
But did he leave Jesus? No.
What about you? When you’re in John’s position, what do you do? When it’s Saturday in your life, how do you react? When you are somewhere between yesterday’s tragedy and tomorrow’s triumph, what do you do? Do you leave God—or do you linger near him?
John chose to linger. And because he lingered on Saturday, he was around on Sunday to see the miracle.
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Grace
Pls click on the link and read on. http://www.rzim.org/slice/slicetran.php
hope everyone is doing fine.. this sunday is GNK! pls come at 9am. Natalie- worship, Mark&Adriel - games. Matt u'll help me for object lesson k? Easy stuff! The rest will help out in the groups. Nat, if possible, contact gracia and ask if she can do the powerpoint slides for worship k.
Prepare ur hearts, go into the word of God, as we go into service for God
hope everyone is doing fine.. this sunday is GNK! pls come at 9am. Natalie- worship, Mark&Adriel - games. Matt u'll help me for object lesson k? Easy stuff! The rest will help out in the groups. Nat, if possible, contact gracia and ask if she can do the powerpoint slides for worship k.
Prepare ur hearts, go into the word of God, as we go into service for God
Monday, March 26, 2007
its SOMEBODY'S bIRTHdaY!
HELLO NATALIE! HERE'S WISHING YOU A BIG & HAPPY 14th BIRTHDAY!!! GOD BLESS YOU!
Thursday, March 22, 2007
where is the love...
how's everyone doing? even the tag box is so quiet. busy with work? just wanted to post the following verse i read for this morning's devotion.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
it might be sibling squabbles, or someone u cant stand the sight in sch, mayb even in church, or u think ur parents are just getting unbearable, or even if u think ur teacher gives too much work... remember the verse above.
Ephesians 4:31-32
31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
it might be sibling squabbles, or someone u cant stand the sight in sch, mayb even in church, or u think ur parents are just getting unbearable, or even if u think ur teacher gives too much work... remember the verse above.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Different Names of God (18 - 22nd, Last)
Yahweh-Shalom ~ The LORD Is Peace
The Lord greeted Gideon in peace, so he built an altar and named it "The LORD is Peace" (see Judges 6:23-24). You have probably heard the blessing "Shalom" from Jewish friends and acquaintances. It means peace. More importantly it means the Lord, our peace. Where does the Shepherd lead His sheep? Beside peaceful, still waters. "He leads me beside the still waters; He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2). When your heart is content, you are at peace. And where does that contentment come from? The grace of God. There's no man more discontent than one who is not experiencing the amazing grace of God. Only in Jesus, will you find security, sufficiency, and serenity.
Related Scripture
Genesis 49:10; Judges 6:23-24; Psalm 4:8; 29:11; Proverbs 16:7; Isaiah 26:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Yahweh-Shammah ~ The LORD is There
Psalm 139:7 asks, "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?" And what is the answer? God is omnipresent. He's everywhere. Somebody said that God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. There is not a murmur, but that He hears it. There's not a movement, but that He sees it. There's not a motive, but that He knows it. Neither Death, darkness, nor distance can hide us. When I am discouraged, His presence sees me through. When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up. When I am worried, His presence calms me down. When I am tempted, His presence helps me out.
Related Scripture
Genesis 28:15; Ezekiel 48:35; Psalm 23:4; 46:1; 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Amos 5:14; Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 14:16-17; Acts 7:48-49; 17:24-28
Yahweh-Tsabbaoth ~ The LORD Of Hosts
Jehovah-sabaoth literally means the Lord Almighty. It speaks of the sovereignty of God over all the powers of the universe. The second stanza from Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" says, "Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right man on our side, The man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He, Lord Sabbaoth His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle." David understood the greatness of God when he went against Goliath with five smooth stones and a sling. David said to Goliath, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." Oh, that each of us would have this same conception of God in our battles.
Related Scripture
Isaiah 6:3; 1 Samuel 1:3, 17:45; 2 Samuel 6:2, 7:26-27; 1 Chronicles 11:9; Haggai 1:5; Romans 9:29; James 5:4; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8; 4:8
Yahweh-Tsidkenu ~ The LORD Our Righteousness
We are not righteousness in and of ourselves. Our righteousness comes from God and God alone. Jesus imputes His righteousness into us so that we can see God. For you see, Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, no man will see God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Isn't that terrific? You see, if you are a child of God, you are holy. Are you feeling that you can't live the Christian life? That's right where you need to be. You see, God never asked you to live the Christian life apart from Him. He wants to be your strength, He wants to live the Christian life through you and do for you what you could never do for yourself.
Related Scripture
Genesis 15:6; Jeremiah 23:6; Psalm 4:1; 5:8; 24:5; 31:1; 36:10; 71:15; 89:16; Matthew 6:33; Romans 4:22; 5:18; 8:10; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9
Yahweh-Yireh ~ The LORD Will Provide
Yireh is from the same Hebrew word as Moriah, which is the name of the region where God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). In Genesis 22:11-13 we read, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." God provided the lamb. And Abraham called the place Yahweh-Yireh - God is our substitutionary sacrifice.
Related Scripture
Genesis 22:14, 22:1-18
The Lord greeted Gideon in peace, so he built an altar and named it "The LORD is Peace" (see Judges 6:23-24). You have probably heard the blessing "Shalom" from Jewish friends and acquaintances. It means peace. More importantly it means the Lord, our peace. Where does the Shepherd lead His sheep? Beside peaceful, still waters. "He leads me beside the still waters; He makes me lie down in green pastures" (Psalm 23:2). When your heart is content, you are at peace. And where does that contentment come from? The grace of God. There's no man more discontent than one who is not experiencing the amazing grace of God. Only in Jesus, will you find security, sufficiency, and serenity.
Related Scripture
Genesis 49:10; Judges 6:23-24; Psalm 4:8; 29:11; Proverbs 16:7; Isaiah 26:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:16
Yahweh-Shammah ~ The LORD is There
Psalm 139:7 asks, "Whither shall I go from Thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?" And what is the answer? God is omnipresent. He's everywhere. Somebody said that God is a circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is nowhere. There is not a murmur, but that He hears it. There's not a movement, but that He sees it. There's not a motive, but that He knows it. Neither Death, darkness, nor distance can hide us. When I am discouraged, His presence sees me through. When I am lonely, His presence cheers me up. When I am worried, His presence calms me down. When I am tempted, His presence helps me out.
Related Scripture
Genesis 28:15; Ezekiel 48:35; Psalm 23:4; 46:1; 139:7-12; Jeremiah 23:23-24; Amos 5:14; Matthew 18:20; 28:20; John 14:16-17; Acts 7:48-49; 17:24-28
Yahweh-Tsabbaoth ~ The LORD Of Hosts
Jehovah-sabaoth literally means the Lord Almighty. It speaks of the sovereignty of God over all the powers of the universe. The second stanza from Martin Luther's hymn "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" says, "Did we in our own strength confide, Our striving would be losing, Were not the right man on our side, The man of God's own choosing. Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He, Lord Sabbaoth His name, From age to age the same, And He must win the battle." David understood the greatness of God when he went against Goliath with five smooth stones and a sling. David said to Goliath, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied." Oh, that each of us would have this same conception of God in our battles.
Related Scripture
Isaiah 6:3; 1 Samuel 1:3, 17:45; 2 Samuel 6:2, 7:26-27; 1 Chronicles 11:9; Haggai 1:5; Romans 9:29; James 5:4; 2 Corinthians 6:18; Revelation 1:8; 4:8
Yahweh-Tsidkenu ~ The LORD Our Righteousness
We are not righteousness in and of ourselves. Our righteousness comes from God and God alone. Jesus imputes His righteousness into us so that we can see God. For you see, Hebrews 12:14 says that without holiness, no man will see God. Second Corinthians 5:21 says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Isn't that terrific? You see, if you are a child of God, you are holy. Are you feeling that you can't live the Christian life? That's right where you need to be. You see, God never asked you to live the Christian life apart from Him. He wants to be your strength, He wants to live the Christian life through you and do for you what you could never do for yourself.
Related Scripture
Genesis 15:6; Jeremiah 23:6; Psalm 4:1; 5:8; 24:5; 31:1; 36:10; 71:15; 89:16; Matthew 6:33; Romans 4:22; 5:18; 8:10; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9
Yahweh-Yireh ~ The LORD Will Provide
Yireh is from the same Hebrew word as Moriah, which is the name of the region where God sent Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (Genesis 22). In Genesis 22:11-13 we read, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." God provided the lamb. And Abraham called the place Yahweh-Yireh - God is our substitutionary sacrifice.
Related Scripture
Genesis 22:14, 22:1-18
Friday, March 16, 2007
Different Names of God (13 - 17th)
Yahweh ~ The Self-Existent One
The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant name of Israel's God. In the King James version of the Bible, it's translated Lord God. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. When possible, they use another name.
Related Scripture
Isaiah 40:3; 10; 1 Samuel 1:20; Exodus 6:1-4; 3:1-22; John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5
Yahweh-Bore ~ The LORD Creator
Can you imagine what a modern writer would do if he tried to describe the creation of the heavens and the earth? Even if he believed in God, what an avalanche of adjectives he would pour out! What double-jointed and obtuse terms he would have to use to describe the creation of the earth! Aren't you glad that God said it, surely, sweetly, sublimely, and simply: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." How beautiful that is. It always tickles me when I read about how scientists are trying to discover the mystery of the creation of the universe. They just scratch their heads and say, "We've got to go back to the laboratory now, a lot of things we thought we knew we didn't know." God just spoke and it was so.
Related Scripture
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 40:28-31; Job 38:1-41, 39:1-30, 40:1
Yahweh-Nissi ~ The LORD My Banner
The Lord is a reigning banner over us all the time. The Hebrew for "banner" comes from the root word "to be high" or "raised." This was the name given to the altar that Moses erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-15). He goes before us and behind us to give us the victory in all circumstances of life. Even in the midst of the battle, the banner of the Lord is raised over us. Psalm 23:5 says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Who is the God who prepares a table of celebration in the presence of the enemy? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, then shall the Lord hold up a banner before him. The victory in all of life is the Lord's.
Related Scripture
Exodus 17:15
Yahweh-Raah ~ The LORD My Shepherd
Psalm 23 and John 10 are the most beautiful descriptions of God as our Shepherd, Jehovah Rajah. When we say "Lord," we think of God's deity. When we say "my Shepherd," we think of God's humanity. God in human form - Jesus Christ - prophesized in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. As the Good Shepherd, He dealt with the penalty of sin. As the Great Shepherd, He deals with the power of sin. As the Chief Shepherd, He's coming to take us from the very presence of sin.
Related Scripture
Psalm 23; 80:1; 95:7; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:12; 23; Matthew 25:32; John 10:11-27; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4
Yahweh-Rapha ~ The LORD That Healeth
Does Jesus heal? Yes! He is the Almighty Lord, our healer. He can heal instantaneously by a miracle. He can heal over time through medicine. But let me add, that not every saint will be healed in this lifetime either by miracle or by medicine, nor instantaneously or in time. Right now, God is more interested in having you holy rather than healthy. Our bodies are not yet redeemed. The redemption of the body is going to come at the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the Christian dead. It is at that time that we will be made like unto Him. There is no sickness in the Lord's body and there will be no sickness in our resurrection body. If you are not healed in this life, child of God, you will be healed in eternity.
Related Scripture
Exodus 15:26; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 6:2; 41:4; 103:3; 147:3; Isaiah 19:22; 30:36; 57:18-19; Jeremiah 3:22; 17:14; 30:17; Matthew 8:7; 10:1; Luke 4:18
The name Jehovah is used some 6,800 times in the Bible. It is the personal covenant name of Israel's God. In the King James version of the Bible, it's translated Lord God. Not only does it speak of God's strength, but also it speaks of the sovereignty of God and the goodness of God. The root of this name means "self-existing," one who never came into being, and one who always will be. When Moses asked God, "Who shall I tell Pharaoh has sent me?" God said, "I AM THAT I AM." Jehovah or Yahweh is the most intensely sacred name to Jewish scribes and many will not even pronounce the name. When possible, they use another name.
Related Scripture
Isaiah 40:3; 10; 1 Samuel 1:20; Exodus 6:1-4; 3:1-22; John 6:35; 8:12; 10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1, 5
Yahweh-Bore ~ The LORD Creator
Can you imagine what a modern writer would do if he tried to describe the creation of the heavens and the earth? Even if he believed in God, what an avalanche of adjectives he would pour out! What double-jointed and obtuse terms he would have to use to describe the creation of the earth! Aren't you glad that God said it, surely, sweetly, sublimely, and simply: "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." How beautiful that is. It always tickles me when I read about how scientists are trying to discover the mystery of the creation of the universe. They just scratch their heads and say, "We've got to go back to the laboratory now, a lot of things we thought we knew we didn't know." God just spoke and it was so.
Related Scripture
Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; Isaiah 40:28-31; Job 38:1-41, 39:1-30, 40:1
Yahweh-Nissi ~ The LORD My Banner
The Lord is a reigning banner over us all the time. The Hebrew for "banner" comes from the root word "to be high" or "raised." This was the name given to the altar that Moses erected to commemorate the defeat of the Amalekites at Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-15). He goes before us and behind us to give us the victory in all circumstances of life. Even in the midst of the battle, the banner of the Lord is raised over us. Psalm 23:5 says, "Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." Who is the God who prepares a table of celebration in the presence of the enemy? When the enemy shall come in like a flood, then shall the Lord hold up a banner before him. The victory in all of life is the Lord's.
Related Scripture
Exodus 17:15
Yahweh-Raah ~ The LORD My Shepherd
Psalm 23 and John 10 are the most beautiful descriptions of God as our Shepherd, Jehovah Rajah. When we say "Lord," we think of God's deity. When we say "my Shepherd," we think of God's humanity. God in human form - Jesus Christ - prophesized in the Old Testament and revealed in the New Testament. The Jehovah of the Old Testament is the Jesus of the New Testament. As the Good Shepherd, He dealt with the penalty of sin. As the Great Shepherd, He deals with the power of sin. As the Chief Shepherd, He's coming to take us from the very presence of sin.
Related Scripture
Psalm 23; 80:1; 95:7; Isaiah 40:11; Jeremiah 31:10; Ezekiel 34:12; 23; Matthew 25:32; John 10:11-27; Hebrews 13:20-21; 1 Peter 2:25; 5:4
Yahweh-Rapha ~ The LORD That Healeth
Does Jesus heal? Yes! He is the Almighty Lord, our healer. He can heal instantaneously by a miracle. He can heal over time through medicine. But let me add, that not every saint will be healed in this lifetime either by miracle or by medicine, nor instantaneously or in time. Right now, God is more interested in having you holy rather than healthy. Our bodies are not yet redeemed. The redemption of the body is going to come at the rapture of the church and the resurrection of the Christian dead. It is at that time that we will be made like unto Him. There is no sickness in the Lord's body and there will be no sickness in our resurrection body. If you are not healed in this life, child of God, you will be healed in eternity.
Related Scripture
Exodus 15:26; 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 6:2; 41:4; 103:3; 147:3; Isaiah 19:22; 30:36; 57:18-19; Jeremiah 3:22; 17:14; 30:17; Matthew 8:7; 10:1; Luke 4:18
Different Names of God (10 - 12th)
El Roi ~ The God Who Sees
El Roi was first revealed in the Bible by Hagar. She was Sarah's handmaiden, who became pregnant with Abraham's child so, in their minds, they could fulfill the promise of God. Soon after the child was conceived, things became very difficult between Sarah and her. So much so, that Hagar fled out into the wilderness. Friendless, homeless, pregnant, not knowing what would become of her, she laid down by a fountain in the wilderness. There, an angel appeared to her to give her comfort and to speak of God's grace and mercy. Genesis 16:13 says: "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" Did you know that God sees you right now? God knows your very thoughts. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.
Related Scripture
Genesis 16:13; Genesis 16:1-16; Psalm 33:18-19
El Shaddai ~ God Almighty
The name El Shaddai appears seven times in the Word of God. As I read the newspapers, I can go back to the Book of Genesis and see that immutable, unbreakable promise that God made to father Abraham. Genesis 17:1-2 says, "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." This promise has changed the world. Every Jew upon the face of the earth is a living testimony of the faithfulness of Almighty God. And this God who keeps His promise to Abraham is the same God that keeps His promises to you and I through Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture
Genesis 17:1-19, 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exodus 6:2-3; Ruth 1:20; Job 5:17; Ezekiel 10:5; Psalm 91:1
Elohim ~ The Creator
Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It literally says, "In the beginning Elohim, Elohim created the heaven and the earth." That's the Hebrew word from two root words: El, which means strength and unlimited power. And the last part of is allah, which means to keep a promise. Elohim is also a plural noun. I believe that right here on the threshold of the Bible we see an indication of the nature of God, as shown in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three were present in creation (see John 1:3). Aren't you glad we find the Savior in chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't you glad we find the Holy Spirit in chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't you glad we find the Father in chapter 1, verse 1 of the Word of God?
Related Scripture
Genesis 1:1-3, 27-28; 3:3; Isaiah 40:28, 54:5; Psalm 19:1-6, 95:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Hebrews 1:8, 11:3
El Roi was first revealed in the Bible by Hagar. She was Sarah's handmaiden, who became pregnant with Abraham's child so, in their minds, they could fulfill the promise of God. Soon after the child was conceived, things became very difficult between Sarah and her. So much so, that Hagar fled out into the wilderness. Friendless, homeless, pregnant, not knowing what would become of her, she laid down by a fountain in the wilderness. There, an angel appeared to her to give her comfort and to speak of God's grace and mercy. Genesis 16:13 says: "And she called the name of the LORD that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me?" Did you know that God sees you right now? God knows your very thoughts. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me.
Related Scripture
Genesis 16:13; Genesis 16:1-16; Psalm 33:18-19
El Shaddai ~ God Almighty
The name El Shaddai appears seven times in the Word of God. As I read the newspapers, I can go back to the Book of Genesis and see that immutable, unbreakable promise that God made to father Abraham. Genesis 17:1-2 says, "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before Me, and be thou perfect. And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly." This promise has changed the world. Every Jew upon the face of the earth is a living testimony of the faithfulness of Almighty God. And this God who keeps His promise to Abraham is the same God that keeps His promises to you and I through Jesus Christ.
Related Scripture
Genesis 17:1-19, 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3; Exodus 6:2-3; Ruth 1:20; Job 5:17; Ezekiel 10:5; Psalm 91:1
Elohim ~ The Creator
Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." It literally says, "In the beginning Elohim, Elohim created the heaven and the earth." That's the Hebrew word from two root words: El, which means strength and unlimited power. And the last part of is allah, which means to keep a promise. Elohim is also a plural noun. I believe that right here on the threshold of the Bible we see an indication of the nature of God, as shown in the Holy Trinity - God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. All three were present in creation (see John 1:3). Aren't you glad we find the Savior in chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't you glad we find the Holy Spirit in chapter 1, verse 1? Aren't you glad we find the Father in chapter 1, verse 1 of the Word of God?
Related Scripture
Genesis 1:1-3, 27-28; 3:3; Isaiah 40:28, 54:5; Psalm 19:1-6, 95:6; Nehemiah 9:17; Hebrews 1:8, 11:3
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Different Names of God (8th and 9th)
El Elyon ~ The God Most High
El Elyon speaks of the supremacy of God. He is above all. Now, what does El Elyon mean? The word means the strongest of the strong and the highest of the high. Hinduism and Pantheism speak of God as a part of the universe. But God is not a part of the universe. He is the transcendent God. He is above all. He is the Most High God. Jesus is our El Elyon. Colossians 1:16-17 says, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." God is above all things. Jesus is our El Elyon.
Related Scripture
Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 61:2; 92:1; Daniel 7:25
El Olam ~ The Everlasting God
God never changes. Psalm 90:1-2 says, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." What a wonderful thing to know that in a changing world God does not change! Time does not alter God. Psalm 90:4 says, "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." Well, what do all these verses mean? There are no surprises to God. As Corrie Ten Boom says, "There's no panic in heaven." God knows the past and the future at the same time. Jesus is our El Olam. He is the King of the Ages. Hebrews 1:8 says, "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."
Related Scripture
Genesis 3:22; 21:33; Psalm 90:1-2; 93:2; Isaiah 9:6; 26:4; 40:28
El Elyon speaks of the supremacy of God. He is above all. Now, what does El Elyon mean? The word means the strongest of the strong and the highest of the high. Hinduism and Pantheism speak of God as a part of the universe. But God is not a part of the universe. He is the transcendent God. He is above all. He is the Most High God. Jesus is our El Elyon. Colossians 1:16-17 says, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist." God is above all things. Jesus is our El Elyon.
Related Scripture
Genesis 14:18-20; Psalm 61:2; 92:1; Daniel 7:25
El Olam ~ The Everlasting God
God never changes. Psalm 90:1-2 says, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." What a wonderful thing to know that in a changing world God does not change! Time does not alter God. Psalm 90:4 says, "For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night." Well, what do all these verses mean? There are no surprises to God. As Corrie Ten Boom says, "There's no panic in heaven." God knows the past and the future at the same time. Jesus is our El Olam. He is the King of the Ages. Hebrews 1:8 says, "But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom."
Related Scripture
Genesis 3:22; 21:33; Psalm 90:1-2; 93:2; Isaiah 9:6; 26:4; 40:28
Monday, March 5, 2007
Different Names of God (5th, 6th and 7th)
Christos ~ The Anointed One
First John 4:2 says, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." John uses two names, Jesus, which refers to His human name, and Christ, which refers to His divine title. Jesus Christ is fully man and fully Messiah at the same time. Christ, which means Messiah, the Anointed One is His divine title. Jesus is God in human flesh. This is the fundamental doctrine of our faith - that God stepped out of heaven and took upon human flesh. We call that the incarnation. Carnis means flesh. When Jesus Christ took upon Himself humanity, He did not take it while He was here on earth and then laid it aside when He went back to heaven. He took His humanity back to heaven with Him. For all eternity Jesus Christ will be a man.
Related Scripture
Matthew 1:16, 16:16-20; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11, 9:20; John 1:41, 4:42, 6:69, 7:41-42, 11:27, 17:3, 20:31; Acts 2:36, 3:18, 5:42, 8:37, Romans 5:8, 5:15, 6:4, 6:23, 8:1, 8:39, 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 11:3, 12:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, 5:17-20, 8:9, 12:9-10; Galatians 2:20-21, 6:14; Ephesians 1:5, 2:5-7, 4:15; Philippians 1:6, 1:21, 2:5-11, 3:7-9, 3:20, 4:19, Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 Timothy 1:15-16, 2:5; Hebrews 3:6, 5:5, 9:14, 10:10, 13:8; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 5:6, 20; Revelation 11:15
El Chuwl ~ The God Who Gave You Birth
Isaiah 43, 1-3b says, "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior." God is saying, "I made you, I saved you, I'm going to take care of you." God has made you for a purpose And He's going to take care of you. Even when sin marred God's original creation, God didn't say, "I'm finished with it." No. God made it and God stays with it. Isn't that a wonderful arrangement?
Related Scripture
Psalm 139:13-18
El Deah ~ God of Knowledge
You think about His omniscience, He knows everything. God is the God of all knowledge. God inhabits eternity. God sees the beginning. God sees the middle. God sees the end. God sees it all at one time. God is all-knowing - He can't learn anything. God knows everything that's going to happen. Not a blade of grass moves but what He knows it. If you're saved, God knew that you would receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing takes God by surprise. God never says, "Ooops. I never thought of that." God is omniscient. I don't understand how He swung the stars in the night sky. Or scooped the oceans and heaped up the mountains and runs this mighty universe. Romans 11:34 says, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?" We don't have to know all that our Father does for Him to be our Father.
Related Scripture
1 Samuel 2:3; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
First John 4:2 says, "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God." John uses two names, Jesus, which refers to His human name, and Christ, which refers to His divine title. Jesus Christ is fully man and fully Messiah at the same time. Christ, which means Messiah, the Anointed One is His divine title. Jesus is God in human flesh. This is the fundamental doctrine of our faith - that God stepped out of heaven and took upon human flesh. We call that the incarnation. Carnis means flesh. When Jesus Christ took upon Himself humanity, He did not take it while He was here on earth and then laid it aside when He went back to heaven. He took His humanity back to heaven with Him. For all eternity Jesus Christ will be a man.
Related Scripture
Matthew 1:16, 16:16-20; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11, 9:20; John 1:41, 4:42, 6:69, 7:41-42, 11:27, 17:3, 20:31; Acts 2:36, 3:18, 5:42, 8:37, Romans 5:8, 5:15, 6:4, 6:23, 8:1, 8:39, 10:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 11:3, 12:12; 2 Corinthians 2:14-15, 5:17-20, 8:9, 12:9-10; Galatians 2:20-21, 6:14; Ephesians 1:5, 2:5-7, 4:15; Philippians 1:6, 1:21, 2:5-11, 3:7-9, 3:20, 4:19, Colossians 3:1-4; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; 1 Timothy 1:15-16, 2:5; Hebrews 3:6, 5:5, 9:14, 10:10, 13:8; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 5:6, 20; Revelation 11:15
El Chuwl ~ The God Who Gave You Birth
Isaiah 43, 1-3b says, "But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior." God is saying, "I made you, I saved you, I'm going to take care of you." God has made you for a purpose And He's going to take care of you. Even when sin marred God's original creation, God didn't say, "I'm finished with it." No. God made it and God stays with it. Isn't that a wonderful arrangement?
Related Scripture
Psalm 139:13-18
El Deah ~ God of Knowledge
You think about His omniscience, He knows everything. God is the God of all knowledge. God inhabits eternity. God sees the beginning. God sees the middle. God sees the end. God sees it all at one time. God is all-knowing - He can't learn anything. God knows everything that's going to happen. Not a blade of grass moves but what He knows it. If you're saved, God knew that you would receive the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing takes God by surprise. God never says, "Ooops. I never thought of that." God is omniscient. I don't understand how He swung the stars in the night sky. Or scooped the oceans and heaped up the mountains and runs this mighty universe. Romans 11:34 says, "For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been His counsellor?" We don't have to know all that our Father does for Him to be our Father.
Related Scripture
1 Samuel 2:3; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31
Friday, March 2, 2007
Different Names of God (3rd and 4th)
Alpha and Omega
The noted historian, H. G. Wells, made a list of the ten greatest men of history and number one on that list was Jesus Christ. But, Jesus doesn't belong on that list. He doesn't belong on anybody's list. He is Jesus the First and the Last. Jesus said in Revelation, "I am Alpha and Omega." Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. Omega is the last. If Jesus was speaking to an English audience, He would say, "I am A and Z." Did you know that the Bible is made up of just twenty-six letters? What Jesus is saying about the written word is true about the living Word. John chapter one tells us that "In the beginning was the Word…and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us." Jesus was in the beginning as the Word of God. And He is God's final word for all eternity.
Related Scripture
Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13
Revelation 1:8, 1:11, 21:6, 22:13
Attiyq Youm ~ The Ancient of Days
What do you think about when you hear this name for God - "Ancient of Days"? Isaiah 46:9-10 says, "Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure." Only God can tell in ancient times the things that are not yet done. Thomas Watson, who was the chairman of IBM, said in 1943, that there's a world market for maybe five computers. In 1977 Ken Olsen, the founder of Digital Equipment, said, "There's no reason anyone would want a computer in their home." It's comments like these that help us see how foolish we are to think we can know the future. Only God is the Ancient of Days.
Related Scripture
Daniel 7:9, 13, 14
Daniel 7:9, 13, 14
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Different Names of God (2nd)
Adonay ~ LORD, Master
The gifted violinist Fritz Chrysler had a Stradivarius violin that at one time belonged to an old Englishman. Chrysler offered to buy it, but the old man told him that the violin was not for sale. One day he ventured to the old man's house and asked if he could touch it. The old man invited Chrysler in. He tucked it under his chin and began to draw the bow across the strings. Great tears began to well up in the old Englishman's eyes. Chrysler saw the man's face and said, "I'm sorry, but I would so much like to buy this instrument." The old Englishman said, "It is not for sale, but it is yours. You are the master. You alone are worthy of it." When we call God Adonay, we are saying that He is the Master. He alone is worthy, nothing and no one else. He is worth all that we have and all that we are.
Related Scripture
Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 2:4, 8:1, 97:5, 136:3; Isaiah 1:24, 6:1; Romans 10:9
The gifted violinist Fritz Chrysler had a Stradivarius violin that at one time belonged to an old Englishman. Chrysler offered to buy it, but the old man told him that the violin was not for sale. One day he ventured to the old man's house and asked if he could touch it. The old man invited Chrysler in. He tucked it under his chin and began to draw the bow across the strings. Great tears began to well up in the old Englishman's eyes. Chrysler saw the man's face and said, "I'm sorry, but I would so much like to buy this instrument." The old Englishman said, "It is not for sale, but it is yours. You are the master. You alone are worthy of it." When we call God Adonay, we are saying that He is the Master. He alone is worthy, nothing and no one else. He is worth all that we have and all that we are.
Related Scripture
Deuteronomy 10:17; Psalm 2:4, 8:1, 97:5, 136:3; Isaiah 1:24, 6:1; Romans 10:9
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
The Different Names Of God
Over the next days, I'll be posting the different names of God. One name a day. Taken from love worth finding website.
Abba ~ Father
Have you ever thought about God as a daddy? Galatians 4:6 says, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Abba is the Aramaic word meaning Daddy, Father. It's a term of warm affection, intimacy, and respect for one's father. Now, to some that may sound like an irreverent way to address God, but Jesus called God, "Our Father," in Matthew 6:9 and He gave us that same right. In America, children call their fathers, Daddy. But in the Middle East, they say Abba. Jesus says that we can call the great God of the Universe, Abba Father. Daddy Father.
Related Scripture
Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6
Abba ~ Father
Have you ever thought about God as a daddy? Galatians 4:6 says, "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." Abba is the Aramaic word meaning Daddy, Father. It's a term of warm affection, intimacy, and respect for one's father. Now, to some that may sound like an irreverent way to address God, but Jesus called God, "Our Father," in Matthew 6:9 and He gave us that same right. In America, children call their fathers, Daddy. But in the Middle East, they say Abba. Jesus says that we can call the great God of the Universe, Abba Father. Daddy Father.
Related Scripture
Mark 14:36; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:6
Mark 6:14-29
Re cap on the above verses abt the beheading of John the Baptist from horizonsnet.org
Background:
Herod the Great was King when Jesus was born. Herod the Great married a number of women and had a number of sons by them. Some were actually murdered by their father. Among those who were not was Herod Antipas, the Herod of this passage, and Herod Philip. They were half-brothers. Another half-brother was Aristobulus. Aristobulus had a daughter named Herodias. She married Herod Philip. They, in turn, had a daughter whose name was Salome.
On a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas met his brother Philip's wife, Herodias. She was a deceitful and ambitious woman who saw in Antipas a way to fulfill her own selfish desires. So he took her away from his brother and they came back to Palestine together. Of course, this sordid affair had already begun. You see, what you have to remember is that Herodias was Aristobulus' daughter, who was Philip's half-brother. That made Herodias Philip's niece. Philip had married his own niece. And now his other half-brother had stolen her away from him.
Lessons:
Pressure-Pushers
-Herodias
a pressure-pusher who is someone who seeks to have her own way by whatever means are necessary. Here is a manipulator. Here is someone who acts out of her own personal ambition and pride.
(Whenever Herod had brought Herodias back to Jerusalem, he had been encountered by John the Baptist. John confronted him and thundered, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias was there and she didn't like it one bit, because John had embarrassed her and perhaps because she also knew that he was preaching the truth.
The reason she could not put John to death was because Herod understood a deeper truth than did his wife. So Herodias had to keep her anger inside and wait for just the right time to make her move.)
Just as Herodias was a pressure-pusher, to a certain degree, we can become pressure-pushers as well. How do you go about trying to influence people? What methods do you use to try to get your will accomplished? Do you ever withhold affection until someone has done what you want? Do you ever use power or the fear of retaliation or rejection to keep people in line? Do you ever continue to press, push and harangue by an incessant repetition of your desire, even after you know they have heard you? Do you seek to manipulate and set people up to get your point off or straighten them out?
We all can live in situations with people like that, either as those under pressure or as those pushing pressure, or sometimes both. We can live like that in our marriages as we relate to our mate. We can live like that in our families as we relate to our children or our parents. We can even live like that in the church, seeking to manipulate and influence and control. We must beware of being a pressure-pusher.
Pressure-Pawn
-Salome
It doesn't seem that Salome had any problem with John the Baptist. She was simply a willing pawn in her mother's chess game. She was someone her mother could use. She became a ploy, skillfully executed as her mother worked out her devious schemes.
Often times, we can be used by someone else in their attempt to put pressure on another. We in the church need to be always on our guard against this. We must be careful never to do someone else's bidding as a conduit for their influence to be felt.
They know the person to whom they speak will tell the person to whom they are trying to get the message across. They want their influence to be felt, but indirectly through another. The subtle thing about this kind of pressure is that the one used, often times, does not even realize that he is being used this way. Brother so-and-so will share a "concern" or a "complaint" with someone whom he knows will carry it to the person he was trying to get the message to. The person with whom he shared it, thinking he is passing on needed information, will then carry that message. He then becomes a pawn, a pressure-pawn, in someone else's chess game. Salome was such a pawn. We must guard against this. We must guard against both using people, and being used ourselves.
Pressure-Perpetuators
Herod's friends.
(Though they said nothing, they spoke volumes. Here are what you might call pressure-perpetuators.
While all this was going on, they just sat there. When Herod made his foolish promise to Salome, no one spoke out to make him question what the implications of his foolishness would produce. When the head of John the Baptist was asked for, again no one spoke out or questioned the terrible act that was about to occur. They were silent. But in their silence, they perpetuated the pressure Herod felt; and in fact, they participated in the evil and cruel act that followed.)
Do we keep silent when we see others manipulated and pressured? Do we just sit and watch, to see how they will handle it, or what they will do? Do we, in doing so, add to the pressure they feel? Or do we speak up and give them the freedom to be the unique people God has created them to be? Do we let people know that they don't have to please us, that our friendship or love or commitment is not based on their agreeing with us? Do we let people know that they don't have to live their lives asking themselves the question, "What will they think?
LEARNING POINTS
The person we need to please is God. The question we need to have before us at all times is not "What will they think?" but "What will God think?"
~There is pressure everywhere, pressure from situations and circumstances, pressure from people, and even pressure we put on ourselves. How do we respond to it? Well, we can respond like Herod. We can be manipulated by it to the point where we are forced to make decisions contrary to what we know is right. Or we can refuse to yield to it and seek the will of God instead.
~key to withstanding the pressures which come upon us; best evidenced in the life of Jesus Christ Himself. (Jesus knew what it was to endure the pressures of people. There were many who wanted Jesus to jump through their little hoops, to perform for them, to say the right things in the right way. There were the Sadducees who wanted Him to stay out of politics. There were the Pharisees who wanted Him to respect all the traditions of their denomination. There were the Zealots who wanted Him to overthrow Rome and set up a kingdom here on earth, a Christian state, if you will.) But Jesus responded to none of these pressures. Rather, He simply sought the will of His father in heaven and did it. Instead of reacting, He acted. He never did anything because of the pressure of the people. He never worried about what people thought. He knew His mission was to do the Father's will. That was His first priority. In fact, there were no others.
~to find victory over the pressures of life, we must come to the same understanding of our life's purpose that Jesus had.
~We must understand that we are here to glorify God and to serve Him. He is a pressure-buster. In Him, we can find relief, even in the middle of the pressure cooker. People may not like it, but then, they never have. (The prophets were stoned and killed. Jesus was hung on a cross. If you are faithful to God, sometimes people will oppose you. They won't like what you are doing or the stand you are taking, or what you are saying. But after all, it has always been difficult to domesticate a true prophet.) What the world needs are not more lukewarm Christians. What the world needs, and what we need to be, are people who do not react to pressure, but who respond to God.
Background:
Herod the Great was King when Jesus was born. Herod the Great married a number of women and had a number of sons by them. Some were actually murdered by their father. Among those who were not was Herod Antipas, the Herod of this passage, and Herod Philip. They were half-brothers. Another half-brother was Aristobulus. Aristobulus had a daughter named Herodias. She married Herod Philip. They, in turn, had a daughter whose name was Salome.
On a visit to Rome, Herod Antipas met his brother Philip's wife, Herodias. She was a deceitful and ambitious woman who saw in Antipas a way to fulfill her own selfish desires. So he took her away from his brother and they came back to Palestine together. Of course, this sordid affair had already begun. You see, what you have to remember is that Herodias was Aristobulus' daughter, who was Philip's half-brother. That made Herodias Philip's niece. Philip had married his own niece. And now his other half-brother had stolen her away from him.
Lessons:
Pressure-Pushers
-Herodias
a pressure-pusher who is someone who seeks to have her own way by whatever means are necessary. Here is a manipulator. Here is someone who acts out of her own personal ambition and pride.
(Whenever Herod had brought Herodias back to Jerusalem, he had been encountered by John the Baptist. John confronted him and thundered, "It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife." Herodias was there and she didn't like it one bit, because John had embarrassed her and perhaps because she also knew that he was preaching the truth.
The reason she could not put John to death was because Herod understood a deeper truth than did his wife. So Herodias had to keep her anger inside and wait for just the right time to make her move.)
Just as Herodias was a pressure-pusher, to a certain degree, we can become pressure-pushers as well. How do you go about trying to influence people? What methods do you use to try to get your will accomplished? Do you ever withhold affection until someone has done what you want? Do you ever use power or the fear of retaliation or rejection to keep people in line? Do you ever continue to press, push and harangue by an incessant repetition of your desire, even after you know they have heard you? Do you seek to manipulate and set people up to get your point off or straighten them out?
We all can live in situations with people like that, either as those under pressure or as those pushing pressure, or sometimes both. We can live like that in our marriages as we relate to our mate. We can live like that in our families as we relate to our children or our parents. We can even live like that in the church, seeking to manipulate and influence and control. We must beware of being a pressure-pusher.
Pressure-Pawn
-Salome
It doesn't seem that Salome had any problem with John the Baptist. She was simply a willing pawn in her mother's chess game. She was someone her mother could use. She became a ploy, skillfully executed as her mother worked out her devious schemes.
Often times, we can be used by someone else in their attempt to put pressure on another. We in the church need to be always on our guard against this. We must be careful never to do someone else's bidding as a conduit for their influence to be felt.
They know the person to whom they speak will tell the person to whom they are trying to get the message across. They want their influence to be felt, but indirectly through another. The subtle thing about this kind of pressure is that the one used, often times, does not even realize that he is being used this way. Brother so-and-so will share a "concern" or a "complaint" with someone whom he knows will carry it to the person he was trying to get the message to. The person with whom he shared it, thinking he is passing on needed information, will then carry that message. He then becomes a pawn, a pressure-pawn, in someone else's chess game. Salome was such a pawn. We must guard against this. We must guard against both using people, and being used ourselves.
Pressure-Perpetuators
Herod's friends.
(Though they said nothing, they spoke volumes. Here are what you might call pressure-perpetuators.
While all this was going on, they just sat there. When Herod made his foolish promise to Salome, no one spoke out to make him question what the implications of his foolishness would produce. When the head of John the Baptist was asked for, again no one spoke out or questioned the terrible act that was about to occur. They were silent. But in their silence, they perpetuated the pressure Herod felt; and in fact, they participated in the evil and cruel act that followed.)
Do we keep silent when we see others manipulated and pressured? Do we just sit and watch, to see how they will handle it, or what they will do? Do we, in doing so, add to the pressure they feel? Or do we speak up and give them the freedom to be the unique people God has created them to be? Do we let people know that they don't have to please us, that our friendship or love or commitment is not based on their agreeing with us? Do we let people know that they don't have to live their lives asking themselves the question, "What will they think?
LEARNING POINTS
The person we need to please is God. The question we need to have before us at all times is not "What will they think?" but "What will God think?"
~There is pressure everywhere, pressure from situations and circumstances, pressure from people, and even pressure we put on ourselves. How do we respond to it? Well, we can respond like Herod. We can be manipulated by it to the point where we are forced to make decisions contrary to what we know is right. Or we can refuse to yield to it and seek the will of God instead.
~key to withstanding the pressures which come upon us; best evidenced in the life of Jesus Christ Himself. (Jesus knew what it was to endure the pressures of people. There were many who wanted Jesus to jump through their little hoops, to perform for them, to say the right things in the right way. There were the Sadducees who wanted Him to stay out of politics. There were the Pharisees who wanted Him to respect all the traditions of their denomination. There were the Zealots who wanted Him to overthrow Rome and set up a kingdom here on earth, a Christian state, if you will.) But Jesus responded to none of these pressures. Rather, He simply sought the will of His father in heaven and did it. Instead of reacting, He acted. He never did anything because of the pressure of the people. He never worried about what people thought. He knew His mission was to do the Father's will. That was His first priority. In fact, there were no others.
~to find victory over the pressures of life, we must come to the same understanding of our life's purpose that Jesus had.
~We must understand that we are here to glorify God and to serve Him. He is a pressure-buster. In Him, we can find relief, even in the middle of the pressure cooker. People may not like it, but then, they never have. (The prophets were stoned and killed. Jesus was hung on a cross. If you are faithful to God, sometimes people will oppose you. They won't like what you are doing or the stand you are taking, or what you are saying. But after all, it has always been difficult to domesticate a true prophet.) What the world needs are not more lukewarm Christians. What the world needs, and what we need to be, are people who do not react to pressure, but who respond to God.
Friday, February 16, 2007
You Have Captured God's Heart by Max Lucado
Just look at the gifts he has given you: He has sent his angels to care for you, his Holy Spirit to dwell in you, his church to encourage you, and his word to guide you. You have privileges only a fiancée could have. Anytime you speak, he listens; make a request and he responds. He will never let you be tempted too much or stumble too far. Let a tear appear on your cheek, and he is there to wipe it. Let a love sonnet appear on your lips, and he is there to hear it. As much as you want to see him, he wants to see you more.
He is building a house for you. And with every swing of the hammer and cut of the saw, he’s dreaming of the day he carries you over the threshold. “There are many rooms in my Father’s house; I would not tell you this if it were not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me so that you may be where I am” (John 14:2–3).
You have been chosen by Christ. You are released from your old life in your old house, and he has claimed you as his beloved. “Then where is he?” you might ask. “Why hasn’t he come?”
There is only one answer. His bride is not ready. She is still being prepared.
Engaged people are obsessed with preparation. The right dress. The right weight. The right hair and the right tux. They want everything to be right. Why? So their fiancée will marry them? No. Just the opposite. They want to look their best because their fiancée is marrying them.
The same is true for us. We want to look our best for Christ. We want our hearts to be pure and our thoughts to be clean. We want our faces to shine with grace and our eyes to sparkle with love. We want to be prepared.
Why? In hopes that he will love us? No. Just the opposite. Because he already does.
You are spoken for. You are engaged, set apart, called out, a holy bride. Forbidden waters hold nothing for you. You have been chosen for his castle. Don’t settle for one-night stands in the arms of a stranger.
Be obsessed with your wedding date. Guard against forgetfulness. Be intolerant of memory lapses. Write yourself notes. Memorize verses. Do whatever you need to do to remember. “Aim at what is in heaven . . . Think only about the things in heaven” (Col. 3:1–2). You are engaged to royalty, and your Prince is coming to take you home.
Today's Daily Bread Devotional from rbc
For several years, our family lived in southern California while I was pastoring a church there. The community in which we lived didn’t have the resources to fully patrol the streets with police. So there was a genuine concern about the lack of safety as a result of reckless driving.
In response to the situation, city officials came up with a solution they called Officer Waxworks. These uniformed mannequins were placed in patrol cars alongside the road. Obviously these "officers" couldn’t pursue lawbreakers or write tickets, but just the appearance of "manned" patrol cars was enough to make people slow down. It was a creative way to trick people into obeying the law.
As believers in Christ, we shouldn’t have to be forced or tricked into doing what’s right. In fact, obedience can be drained of its significance if we obey only out of obligation or duty. Our desire should be to do what is pleasing to our Lord because we love Him. Jesus said, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me" (John 14:21). We should "make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him" (2 Cor. 5:9).
Let’s do what’s right out of a heart of gratitude for His grace to us. —Bill Crowder
Our motive for obedience
When trying to keep God’s ways
Is purest when we seek to please,
To love and give Him praise. —Sper
Our desire to please God is our highest motive for obeying God.
Happy CNY!
Gracia, Marcus, Zhengen, can go to adriel's house next sunday, 25feb after youth service for lunch? Raise up ur hand and say yes!
Monday, February 12, 2007
For QT
Have you been doing QT? Or caught up with sch, cca, homework, pc games, going out etc etc... Don't get entangle with your heavy schedule... keep a time table... and add in a slot for God.
Like to encourage everyone to read Psalm 40 for QT.
40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
40:4
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
40:5
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
40:6
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
40:7
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll.
40:8
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
Like to encourage everyone to read Psalm 40 for QT.
40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.
40:2
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
40:3
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
40:4
Blessed is the man who makes the Lord his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
40:5
Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
40:6
Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
40:7
Then I said, "Here I am, I have come-- it is written about me in the scroll.
40:8
I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
2Fish or 2Fishes or 2Fishs?
Well definitely not fishs, 'cos thats gramatically wrong. Gramatically it should be fish or fishes. However 5loaves2fish is already taken, so lets just leave it as 5loaves2fishs.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
2 Sam 12:1-14
Hi guys, must apologise for my being late this morning... and also the word part was so short, 'cos after that I realise I got the passage wrong, it should be verse 1 - 14 & not 1 - 4. oh well, anyway, lets try to recap what we learned today from Nathan's parable to David:
- i think everyone said that their Mum/Teacher would be the one correcting them. now if we think carefully, is it really only Mum? I believe God can use ANYONE, to speak right into our face whenever we did something wrong, and I mean anyone like your classmate, your church friends, cousin, neighbour or even a Stranger!
- next would be our response. notice I use response and not reaction. Uncle Francis taught this concept before. Everytime when we are corrected, or scolded, criticised, etc etc. We should always seek to have a response, and not react. Why? A very gd example to explain the difference of Respond and React is when your are taking medicine. Would you want your body system to respond to medication or react to the medication? You will only get well when your body respond to the medicine, and if you get a reaction, you are worse off than before and most likely than not, you are allergic to that compound. So similarly, we should seek a positive respond whenever we encounter criticism, or when we'll being corrected. Its to help us improve and learned from our mistakes. A reaction would be like being irritated, raising your voice, denying any wrong doing, blaming others, etc etc... you know what I mean...
- Lastly, this just came to my mind. IF you know you have sinned, instead of KEEPING SECRETS, I encourage you to share it with someone, prefably an elder from church or from your family. You might get a scolding or punishment like getting grounded. But it beats keeping secrets, 'cos you are not being truthful and you are hiding the truth. You can hide it from pple, but you know you cant hide it from GOD. By sharing, that person can pray for you, and help you turn from your old ways. Just like in John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." FREE!... nothing beats the feeling of being FREE. No secrets, no more hiding, no more strongholds. Think abt that.
I shall leave you with Psalm 51 which David wrote after he repent.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
- i think everyone said that their Mum/Teacher would be the one correcting them. now if we think carefully, is it really only Mum? I believe God can use ANYONE, to speak right into our face whenever we did something wrong, and I mean anyone like your classmate, your church friends, cousin, neighbour or even a Stranger!
- next would be our response. notice I use response and not reaction. Uncle Francis taught this concept before. Everytime when we are corrected, or scolded, criticised, etc etc. We should always seek to have a response, and not react. Why? A very gd example to explain the difference of Respond and React is when your are taking medicine. Would you want your body system to respond to medication or react to the medication? You will only get well when your body respond to the medicine, and if you get a reaction, you are worse off than before and most likely than not, you are allergic to that compound. So similarly, we should seek a positive respond whenever we encounter criticism, or when we'll being corrected. Its to help us improve and learned from our mistakes. A reaction would be like being irritated, raising your voice, denying any wrong doing, blaming others, etc etc... you know what I mean...
- Lastly, this just came to my mind. IF you know you have sinned, instead of KEEPING SECRETS, I encourage you to share it with someone, prefably an elder from church or from your family. You might get a scolding or punishment like getting grounded. But it beats keeping secrets, 'cos you are not being truthful and you are hiding the truth. You can hide it from pple, but you know you cant hide it from GOD. By sharing, that person can pray for you, and help you turn from your old ways. Just like in John 8:32 "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." FREE!... nothing beats the feeling of being FREE. No secrets, no more hiding, no more strongholds. Think abt that.
I shall leave you with Psalm 51 which David wrote after he repent.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.
14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Friday, February 9, 2007
A prelude to 2 Sam 12
ok i found this text to summarise 2 sam 11. do read it as if it was written by King David himself ok?
"...I sent Joab against the Ammonites again. (You know these people as the Jordanians.) I stayed behind in Jerusalem and one night as I was gazing out over the city I saw the most beautiful woman I could ever imagine, bathing on her rooftop. I found out that her name was Bathsheba, the wife of Urriah the Hittite, one of my soldiers. It didn't matter to me. I knew immediately that I had to have her. This wasn't just some arrogant King taking someone's wife because he could. This was a man willing to risk everything for the love of a woman he couldn't live without. I sent for her and immediately we fell into each other's arms. It was a night I'll never forget.
Shortly thereafter she sent word that she was pregnant. In a panic I summoned her husband, thinking that if he came home for a day or two it would appear that the baby was his. But he refused to take comfort in his wife's arms while his comrades were out in the battle lines. So I sent him back and arranged with his commanders to place him at the most dangerous part of the battle and then abandon him so the enemy soldiers would kill him. They did and Urriah was killed. After a suitable mourning period, Bathsheba and I were married."
"...I sent Joab against the Ammonites again. (You know these people as the Jordanians.) I stayed behind in Jerusalem and one night as I was gazing out over the city I saw the most beautiful woman I could ever imagine, bathing on her rooftop. I found out that her name was Bathsheba, the wife of Urriah the Hittite, one of my soldiers. It didn't matter to me. I knew immediately that I had to have her. This wasn't just some arrogant King taking someone's wife because he could. This was a man willing to risk everything for the love of a woman he couldn't live without. I sent for her and immediately we fell into each other's arms. It was a night I'll never forget.
Shortly thereafter she sent word that she was pregnant. In a panic I summoned her husband, thinking that if he came home for a day or two it would appear that the baby was his. But he refused to take comfort in his wife's arms while his comrades were out in the battle lines. So I sent him back and arranged with his commanders to place him at the most dangerous part of the battle and then abandon him so the enemy soldiers would kill him. They did and Urriah was killed. After a suitable mourning period, Bathsheba and I were married."
THIS SUNDAY 11/2/07
2 Samuel 12: 1 - 4
Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
************************************************************************************
In order to understand this passage, pls refer to the previous chapter, 2 Sam chapter 11. DO read it as it is too long to post it here.
Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
************************************************************************************
In order to understand this passage, pls refer to the previous chapter, 2 Sam chapter 11. DO read it as it is too long to post it here.
we have moved!
ok folks, i dunno y i can't access our old blog after i click update to a new version.
So HERE WE HAVE A NEW BLOG! WELCOME WELCOME.... need a genius to add a chatbox!
let me now try add of you in here!
So HERE WE HAVE A NEW BLOG! WELCOME WELCOME.... need a genius to add a chatbox!
let me now try add of you in here!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
